AutoCAD Plant 3D

[#1]

I need better hidden line control in ortho. I would like to see dashed or dotted lines for hidden lines as an option. We need to be able to select the angle at which we view the ortho as well, vertically as well as horizontally.

[#2]

I would like to make a suggestion, that we used the "+ kudo" to highlight the topic you think is important or interesting.

I believe it will give a good idea for the Autodesk Developers about what is more important, by the amount of "+ kudos" a topic received.

[#3]

I wish:

1 - May we to be given tools easier to maintain dimensions and coordinates more full, to avoid broken numbers.

When using imperial units you should not have this problem because the components are only a fraction of the main unit, but the metric with most components originating from the imperial system these problems appears. What we generally do is compensate in the tube, e.g. for the distance between two curves at the edges to be an integer. This greatly facilitates the manufacture and assembly, and helps when a pipe is used as a a reference point for anything else.

1.1 - It could be possible to constrain a position through a coordinate or reference with another item as a equipment, using something like Dimension Constrains.

2 - It should be possible to determine the minimum distance between the pipes including understanding when insulation is present.

And when the distance is smaller shall be given some sort of warning with a different color. And also with a list of alerts.

3 - Clash Detection for items of Plant 3D on Plant 3D.

4 - Other Nozzole Types as: Slip On Flange, Lapped Flange.

There's much more, when I remember, I write again.

[#4]

My dearest wish for new Plant Realease would be improvement of Iso-creation and options. The isometric should be again an schematic drawing and not a referenced drawing from 3D model. I am often faced with very long pipes (lines) on the isometrics while branches etc are all stored in one part of the isometric drawing.

A reference to the building grid would be very nice.

Second wish would be angular handrailing, steelwork and open mesh-flooring.

It would be nice, if most of the attributes given to a line group could appaer in NavisWorks. I know it is possible to show attributes in Navis exported from other 3D tools, so it should work also for "inhouse" applications.

For material bill using the naming stile (sorry I use the german version there it´s called "Stile für Langbezeichnung") there is a need to get 2nd and 3rd-size information for reducers and tees by selecting them. Otherwise I have to set the description for each size by myself if I want to get second size and wall thickness.

[#5]

OPEN CLOSE state for control valves, now it only works for valves (you can first create the valve as closed and then convert it to control valve, but then you can no longer change it !)

[#6]

Layer and Color settings:

We use the settings Assign layer by Spec and Assign color by Layer. I need to be able to set the color of the layer is this dialog as well, therefore when it creates the new layer it also gives it the correct color.

At the moment it creates a new layer with the spec name but sets the color to white, this means I either have to have the layers already present in the drawings or set the color afterwards.

[#7]

I do not know if this has been mentioned yet or not, but to allow us to Produce  Production ISO's and Exports to PCF's by more than line number. It would be nice to be able to run  by service, size, etc....   This will allow us to export all our high pressure steam lines into one model so we can give it to our stress for them to run a full stress on it. With some programs they cannot combine lines, and it makes their jobs harder.

[#8]

Another I forgot to mention would be drip pan elbows.   Also to be able to put in a flex hose and have it be all "bendy" looking.  

I know I can make all these custom parts and still have it work, just would be nice to have.

[#9]

Cutback Elbows:

On the isometric instead of saying that it is a cutback elbow show the angle instead. This gives us the option of showing the angle on the isometric but not in the material list.

[#10]

I was really surprised this was still a problem in Plant 3D 2013. The work arounds are below but we should not have to do a work around. Basically when I use the Route pipe (PlantPipeAdd) or Line to pipe (PlantConvertLineToPipe) commands I want Plant 3D to follow the route I have selected or the points I have picked and add a cutback elbow when the elbow is non-standard.

If we had a Mitre command, I could use that if we need to Mitre the pipe.

Bends between 89.9 and 84 degrees:

For example a pipe falling at 3 degrees and dropping vertical. Using the Line to Pipe it will draw the pipe and bends, but the bends are incorrect and are drawn in at 90 degrees instead of 87 degrees.  The danger here is that it does not show up as a problem.

The way around this is to set the variable PLANTSLOPETHRESHOLDANGLE variable to 0 and use the Route Pipe command.

Bends between 90.1 and 96 degrees:
For example going from the sump to a distribution box, we have a 3 degree fall on the line so it drains back to the sump, therefore when it goes into the box it has a 93 degree cutback elbow. After getting feedback from Bruce Trevena the only way to do this is a use the Pipe Bend command, I have yet to test this but believe that would need to know the angle before adding the bend.